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We have been spoiled by the Game Pass Gods again this past month. From indie to AAA there is a game for everyone. Some are old and some are new. With limited time these days, I can’t afford to buy games at full price if they are going to be left unplayed.
Whilst I don’t finish as many games as I used to, I get a lot of satisfaction from ‘getting to know’ a game and giving them enough time so that I at least experience a good portion of their worlds.
My favourite games this month feature worlds that are rich with detail and impart the passion that was put into them – in the case of one game, the world is large and all consuming, as opposed to stunning or some other descriptor. So, without further waffle, let’s take a look at the best from the past month.
GRIS
Imagine a sidescroller – easy enough – that captures emotion through gameplay. GRIS feels great to play. The character movement is smooth and the levels are finely balanced so that no puzzle is ever too difficult or too easy.
The game moves steadily through the protagonists emotions (part of the story for you to explore), using stylised mechanics and interesting world occurrences, such as a disheartening wind that prevents the player from moving forward.
If you enjoy sidescrollers, you have probably already played GRIS, but if you haven’t, I don’t think you would be disappointed.
Starfield
Starfield is on the list primarily because it’s a AAA title available at launch on Game Pass. This is a good thing and highlights the dimwittedness of those that bought early access, welp. It’s the truth and sadly, it seems early access is popular enough that plenty of people are spending one hundred pounds on a game, thirty or forty pounds more than the base game, to play a few days early. Question is, what will those few days allow for and are they of real use?
Either way, Starfield is, sadly, Skyrim/Fallout set in space. This is a trite comment, so I will elaborate. Skyrim and Fallout are marvellous games, though I don’t think it would be unfair to say the franchises have devolved over time from 9s to 8s.
So at the peak of their franchise lure, we get what comes across as a passion project, one akin to BlackRock buying out a company that has long stimulated their owner. Big boys trying out their dreams.
I have played Elite: Dangerous on and off since close to launch and have watched friends play Star Citizen and can’t help but perceive the logical connection. If those two games are a rich espresso, Starfield is a weak tea, and for those that haven’t played those games, possibly an enjoyable weak tea.
Starfield starts fast and hurtles you through the story at the speed of light. It’s as though narrative is Bethesda’s least concern and the player flying a spaceship – as though it has never been done – their priority.
The controls and gameplay are basically Fallout 4, only you will spend far longer in the menus, and by longer, I mean a lot longer. The flight is limited and doesn’t really fulfil any sort of space travel desires, when compared to the likes of Elite: Dangerous and Star Citizen.
Starfield has a broad scope. It is a bold game, limited by consoles and unoriginality. If this had released a decade ago, I might be saying something different, but its world never captured me. It’s a bland world where the remnants of prior games have come to settle, a universe where the best intentions die by the rusting sword of a genre that seems worn and overdone. If a weaponskin was a game, Starfield would be an attractive one and one that everyone wants. However, Starfield is Wimpy, not McDonald’s.
Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy
Three games in one and now on Game Pass. This is one of those classic childhood Nintendo DS games and shares a similar portion of sentimentality with Trauma Centre: Under the Knife (remember that?).
It has a unique style, animated characters, a typical Japanese view of the Western world, but one we all love, and fun, original – at the time at least – gameplay mechanics.
Has it aged well? Probably not in terms of gameplay, but the art style is still strong and would appeal to an audience interested in anime, Japan, or Nintendo.
In Phoenix Wright, you will solve crimes by cross-examining, querying and studying the evidence. It’s not a difficult game and is driven largely by story, which on the whole is intriguing. It’s definitely a game that you should try so that you can experience a modern classic. The port to consoles makes the experience even better.
Objection!
The Rest
• Call of the Wild: The Angler
• Cocoon
• Lies of P
• Party Animals
• PAYDAY 3
• Solar Ash
• Spiritfarer: Farewell Edition
What Am I Playing?
I’ve been playing some more Sea of Thieves. The Monkey Island crossover is well underway and the third Tall Tale has arrived. Rare has done a wonderful job of reviving the joy of Monkey Island and incorporating it in an engine-limited 3D world.
The music is great and encouraged a journey into the past. I searched for Monkey Island albums on Spotify and came across an interesting playlist of piano music. Listening to this made me want to play Monkey Island and it turns out, as is often the case, I already had the game on GOG. I still haven’t got around to playing, thought I will soon. Instead, I watched a Monkey Island documentary produced by an enigmatic YouTuber called ‘Ahoy’. I highly recommend.
What are you playing? Let us know on our socials.
All the best,
Ben.